Plainridge: Guardian Angel AS trots to Spirit Of Massachusetts title

Guardian Angel AS remained on top of the open trotting group this year by scoring a 1:51 3/5 track record win in the $250,000 Spirit Of Massachusetts on Sunday afternoon at Plainridge Park.

Driver Tim Tetrick sent Guardian Angel AS after the lead from post six, and he was able to clear The Veteran (Yannick Gingras) for command of the race going to the 26 4/5 opening quarter. Guardian Angel AS then had to deal with a middle-half first-over bid from Weslynn Dancer (David Miller), and he would leave her on the outside at the 55 2/5 half-mile marker and the 1:22 4/5 three-quarters.

Weslynn Dancer finally gave up the ghost in the lane, but The Veteran came to the outside to take his shot. It was to no avail, though, as Guardian Angel AS held sway to win by a length and a quarter. Weslynn Dancer did hold third, with Mambo Lindy (Drew Monti) fourth, and Fiftydallarbill (Corey Callahan) fifth after making a break in stride.

The 1:51 3/5 clocking lowered the previous track record for an older trotting horse of 1:53 4/5 that had belonged to Kodak Lindy since 2016, and fell just one-fifth of a second short of JL Cruze's 1:51 2/5 triumph in the 2017 edition of the Spirit Of Massachusetts.

A 5-year-old Archangel stallion, Guardian Angel AS is trained by Anette Lorentzon for co-owner/breeder ACL Stuteri AB and co-owner Kjell Johansson. This was his 21st career win, and he pushed his bankroll to $829,680. The 1-2 favorite, he paid $3.00 to win.